Explorar el gènere gramatical en L2 espanyol : és un transparent sistema de gènere fácil d’emprar per a estudiants russoparlants?

This paper reports on the results of a pilot study investigating grammatical gender assignment to transparent and opaque inanimate Spanish nouns by Russian-speaking learners with an intermediate-advanced level in L2. 29 Russian natives and 28 native speakers of Spanish completed three gender assignment tasks. Participants had to assign correct gender to inanimate real nouns with transparent (-o, -a) and opaque (-e, consonants) endings, and to nonce words with transparent (-o, -a) or opaque endings. The results revealed that, although the L2 group obtained high accuracy scores in gender assignment tasks, there were significant differences compared to the native speakers. The effects of transparency of the L2 gender system and of the native language of L2 students were also found. Specifically, the L2 students used transparent nouns significantly better than opaque nouns. Furthermore, the L2 group assigned grammatical gender to opaque nouns significantly better when these nouns have the same gender in Russian.El present estudi pilot investiga l’assignació del gènere gramatical a substantius transparents i opacs en castellà per a parlants nadius de rus amb un nivell intermig-avançat de castellà. 29 parlants nadius de rus i 28 parlants nadius de castellà van completar tres tasques d’assignació de gènere. Els participants havien d’assignar el gènere gramatical correcte a substantius reals inanimats amb terminació transparent (-o, -a) i opaca (-e, consonants) i també a substantius inventats amb terminació transparent (-o, -a) o opaca. Els resultats revelen que, malgrat que les puntuacions obtingudes pel grup d’aprenents d’L2 són altes, existeixen diferències significatives en comparació amb el grup dels nadius d’espanyol. Així mateix, s’ha observat l’efecte de la transparència del sistema de gènere gramatical en L2 i l’efecte de la llengua nadiua dels aprenents d’L2. En concret, el grup d’L2 assigna el gènere gramatical significativament millor als substantius transparents que als opacs. A més a més, els aprenents d’L2 utilitzen el gènere gramatical amb els substantius opacs significativament millor quan aquests noms tenen el mateix gènere gramatical en la seva llengua nadiua.For generous financial support, I am grateful to the Regional Government of Galicia (Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria da Xunta de Galicia, grant ED481A2017/279)

Dalila Ayoun, editor. The Acquisition of Gender: Crosslinguistic Perspectives

Abstrac

Transversal Stiffness and Beta-Actin and Alpha-Actinin-4 Content of the M. Soleus Fibers in the Conditions of a 3-Day Reloading after 14-Day Gravitational Unloading

The aim of the work was to analyze the structural changes in different parts of the sarcolemma and contractile apparatus of muscle fibers by measuring their transversal stiffness by atomic force microscopy in a three-day reloading after a 14-day gravity disuse, which was carried out by hind-limbs suspension. The object of the study was the soleus muscle of the Wistar rat. It was shown that after 14 days of disuse, there was a reduction of transversal stiffness of all points of the sarcolemma and contractile apparatus. Readaptation for 3 days leads to complete recovery of the values of the transversal stiffness of the sarcolemma and to partial value recovery of the contractile apparatus. The changes in transversal stiffness of sarcolemma correlate with beta-actin and alpha-actinin-4 in membrane protein fractions

Does the ending matter? Revisiting the acquisition of L2 Spanish grammatical gender by gendered and ungendered L1 adults

Producción CientíficaThe acquisition of Spanish grammatical gender has been widely investigated in the L2 and 2L1 literatures. Previous studies have focused on identifying the difficulties L2 speakers encounter and on whether they attain a native-like performance. This has been widely researched with ungendered L1 speakers (mainly English) and with gendered languages such as Russian or German. This chapter aims at reviewing the most relevant works recently published on the acquisition of grammatical gender in L2 Spanish by setting the focus on the role played by the gender transparency of the noun and how the latter influences the speaker’s acquisition depending on the presence or absence of gender in their L1

Communicative and linguistic factors influencing language development at 30 months of age in preterm and full-term children: a longitudinal study using the CDI

Introduction: Previous studies showed that very preterm children have a delay in communicative (gestures) and linguistic development as compared to fullterm children. Earlier use of gestures, as well as of word comprehension and production, have been found to be predictive of subsequent word production and/or language delay in both very preterm and full-term children. Not many studies on communicative antecedents of language, however, have been carried out with low-risk preterm children in comparison to full-term children. Methods: In the present study a sample (N = 142) of low-risk preterm children has been followed using the Galician version of the Communicative Development Inventories (CDI) at the ages of 10, 22, and 30 months of age and their results were compared to the results from a sample (N = 49) of full-term children at the same ages. The determinants of language measures (vocabulary and grammar) at 30 months of age have been studied through linear regression analyses. Results: ANOVA results indicate that there were no significant differences between the groups in any of the measures obtained with the CDI at any time, nor were there any differences in lexical or grammatical developmental trajectories between both groups (repeated measures ANOVA). Linear regression analyses showed that the predictors of language at 30 months of age are somewhat different for the full-term than for the preterm group. Discussion: While the use of first communicative gestures at 10 months is a predictor of word production at 30 months of age for the full-term group, participation in games and routines seems to play a significant predictive role for preterm children. Word production at 22 months is the factor with a major incidence on word production at the age of 30 months for both groups. Previous specific measures of grammatical development have a clear determinant role in grammar measures at 30 months of age for the full-term children, while in the case of preterm children previous lexical development seems to be more relevantThis research was funded by the Ministerio Economía Industria y Competitividad of the Spanish Government (Grants PSI2008-03905, PSI2011-23210, and PSI2015-66697-R to MP-P). Funds for open access publication fees were received from the Consellería de Educación, Universidade e Formación Profesional -Xunta de GaliciaS

Matrix representation of the Kaliningrad regional accounts system: experimental development and modelling prospects

This article addresses the task of creating a regional Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) in the Kaliningrad region. Analyzing the behavior of economic systems of national and sub-national levels in the changing environment is one of the main objectives of macroeconomic research. Matrices are used in examining the flow of financial resources, which makes it possible to conduct a comprehensive analysis of commodity and cash flows at the regional level. The study identifies key data sources for matrix development and presents its main results: the data sources for the accounts development and filling the social accounting matrix are identified, regional accounts consolidated, the structure of regional matrix devised, and the multiplier of the regional social accounting matrix calculated. An important aspect of this approach is the set target, which determines the composition of matrix accounts representing different aspects of regional performance. The calculated multiplier suggests the possibility of modelling of a socioeconomic system for the region using a social accounting matrix. The regional modelling approach ensures the matrix compliance with the methodological requirements of the national syste

CALPUFF and CAFOs: Air Pollution Modeling and Environmental Justice Analysis in the North Carolina HOG Industry

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) produce large amounts of animal waste, which potentially pollutes air, soil and water and affects human health if not appropriately managed. This study uses meteorological and CAFO data and applies an air pollution dispersion model (CALPUFF) to estimate ammonia concentrations at locations downwind of HOG CAFOs and to evaluate the disproportionate exposure of children, elderly, whites and minorities to the pollutant. Ammonia is one of the gases emitted by swine CAFOs and could affect human health. Local indicator of spatial autocorrelation (LISA) analysis uses census block demographic data to identify hot spots where both ammonia concentrations and the number of exposed vulnerable population are high. We limit our analysis to one watershed in North Carolina and compare environmental justice issues between 2000 and 2010. Our results show that the average ammonia concentrations in hot spots for 2000 and 2010 were 2.5-3-Times higher than the average concentration in the entire watershed. The number of people living in the areas where ammonia concentrations exceeded the minimal risk level was 3647 people in 2000 and 3360 people in 2010. We recommend using air pollution dispersion models in future environmental justice studies to assess the impacts of the CAFOs and to address concerns regarding the health and quality of life of vulnerable populations